Twitter buys Android lockscreen app maker Cover

Micro-blogging firm Twitter has acquired Cover, an Android lockscreen app developer, for an undisclosed sum, in efforts to make the site more appealing for Android users.

The app, which will be available on the Google’s Play store, allows users to customise the lockscreens of their devices, and automatically selects apps that are shown on the home screen based on a users’ location.

Cover founders Todd Jackson, Gordon Luk and Edward Ho wrote in a blog post that twitter shares the company’s vision.

"We’ll be building upon a lot of what makes Cover great, and we’re thrilled to create something even better at Twitter," the founders added.

With the move, Twitter is expecting to get priority in the Android lockscreen queue and offer better experience to users by streaming news and messages outside the app.

Launched in October 2013, Cover app displays a menu of six applications on the locked screen of Android devices, while apps are chosen by analysing a user’s daily activity on the device.

"We built a replacement for Android’s default lockscreen that makes our phones easier to use by adapting to our context — providing fast access to the right apps at the right time," it said.